In each session we discuss different issues, looking at films, articles and other media, or just general life stuff. You don’t have to be an expert, or a woman to get involved – just enthusiastic! Feminism is not an isolated discipline, either, so expect to explore race, class and many other issues! Discussion group is organised by the awesome Dani: (check out her blog!).

Who: YOU. And anyone else interested. Everyone is welcome, including people who aren’t female-identifying. Come along to share your ideas or just have a listen, and meet new people!

Week 2 [Wed 7 March] – ‘Fitness, physicality, and feminism’

This week we will be discussing gender and sport, and how we relate to our fitness and physicality as feminists. What sports make you feel good about yourself? Have you experienced any sexism in gyms or certain clubs? To what extent body image tied into fitness in society today?

For some further food for thought check out these articles about women and the Olympics:

We want to talk about how we approach femininity in feminist and queer communities and in our own lives, and discuss issues of empowerment, autonomy, gender policing, internalised misogyny, and choice. We will be discussing whether feminine expressions can be reclaimed in a space of self-love and power and what it means to identify as femme.

As usual, all welcome, and it doesn’t matter how much you already know or don’t know about this subject!

There is a group of womyn from the Ukraine called Femen who have gained international (ahem) exposure as they protest topless. They raise a few questions about the merits of protesting this way but it seems to be littered with ethical questions that would be great to explore with the group.

Is it trivialising the cause to be topless (when you feel empowered but other people are sexualising you out of context for your original protest?)

Given the positive interest in us starting Stitch n Bitch sessions, it’d be great to talk about whether doing traditional ‘women’s work’ is progressive or regressive, neither, both, contextual?

There’s a great quote by Nigella Lawson about one of her cookbooks that the topic title is from:

Baking is the less applauded of the cooking arts, whereas restaurants are a male province to be celebrated. There’s something intrinsically misogynistic about decrying a tradition because it has always been female.
I’m not being entirely facetious when I say it’s a feminist tract.

There’s an opportunity here to discuss class privilege as well – what choice wom*n have about the work we perform, and how rewards for our work differ depending on our economic and political situations.

Acknowledgement

This website was created on Wurundjeri land. We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the stolen lands and waters of this area. We also acknowledge that those of us who live, study, and work here and are not indigenous are thus beneficiaries of the dispossession of Aboriginal people.